Photos & Words By Stephanie Nardi
On a perfect September night in Minneapolis, one only had to look at the line snaking almost halfway around the block to know there was a sold-out show at the Fine Line. And who were they there to see you ask? Well that would be Lizzy McAlpine of course.
Kicking off the second leg of her Five Seconds Flat Tour, McAlpine wowed the crowd with her deeply personal and relatable lyrics paired with her powerful vocals. Her ability to riff off her existing songs and incorporate different runs or emphazize certain aspects was special and is truly what makes live music so engaging. The songs for the most part are still the same and there’s a level of familiarity with all of them, but having that little twist gives a certain jolt of excitement that makes the song feel almost new again. It displays a level of artistry because altering the song felt the most authentic to that moment in time.
Although this is a tour promoting her latest album Five Seconds Flat, she was never able to tour and play her songs from her previous album Give Me A Minute since it was released during the pandemic, so it was almost like getting two concerts in one. As a fan it was beautiful to hear a setlist that mixed in songs such as “Over-The-Ocean Call” and “To the Mountains” with “Called You Again” and “All My Ghosts” to create a comprehensive set.
The crowd was one of the most respectful of an artist I’ve seen going nearly silent during emotionally charged ballads and letting loose during more upbeat songs, as well as giving opener Carol Ades their full attention instead of chatting with their friends. Nearly all the words were sung back to McAlpine during her set and their was a joyfulness in the atmosphere of the venue that was palpable.
While there was an incident in the crowd where a fan was not well, McAlpine handled it with grace and care immediately calling it to attention and asking for help from the venue staff. After a tense pause, while things were taken care of, everyone was deemed okay, and McAlpine was able to resume her set. She ended the night with “Pancakes for Dinner” and “Orange show Speedway”, two songs of which were clearly crowd favorties as everyone danced around smiling ear to ear as soon as the opening bars were played.
Lizzy McAlpine’s talent as an artist is on fully display on this tour with her poetic lyricism and beautiful melodies and it was a lovely thing to witness. Don’t miss out on this show in your city!
Impressions Magazine 